variants
also alarum
1
as in dread
suspicion or fear of future harm or misfortune
observed with alarm the man staggering toward the edge of the cliff
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in warning
the act or an instance of telling beforehand of danger or risk
in a daring midnight ride Paul Revere gave the alarm that British troops were approaching
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in fear
the emotion experienced in the presence or threat of danger
filled with alarm when the flood waters reached their front steps
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
variants
also alarum
1
as in to scare
to strike with fear
I don't want to alarm you, but I think you should know there's a bear on your back porch
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to concern
to trouble the mind of; to make uneasy
alarmed at the skyrocketing cost of home heating fuel
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Recent Examples of alarm
Sam Meredith, CNBC, 8 Jan. 2026
Almost immediately after Good’s death on Wednesday, Minnesota leaders responded with anger and alarm.
—Nik Popli, Time, 8 Jan. 2026
Grace Gilson, Sun Sentinel, 5 Jan. 2026
Inflation reached 69% — alarming at the time but modest in hindsight — and the first major wave of protests erupted.
—Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 3 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for alarm
Noun
The White House has spoken frequently about taking control of Greenland in the wake of a weekend military operation to depose Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, raising alarm in Europe about Washington's territorial ambitions.
—Sam Meredith, CNBC, 8 Jan. 2026
Almost immediately after Good’s death on Wednesday, Minnesota leaders responded with anger and alarm.
—Nik Popli, Time, 8 Jan. 2026
Verb
These changes have left Israelis alarmed, according to the survey.
—Grace Gilson, Sun Sentinel, 5 Jan. 2026
Inflation reached 69% — alarming at the time but modest in hindsight — and the first major wave of protests erupted.
—Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 3 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for alarm
Recent Examples of Synonyms for alarm
Noun
-
That last reassuring prediction lowered my dread meter enough to consider the Connecticut homegrown disruptive events that will require attention but do not threaten annihilation.—
Kevin Rennie,
Hartford Courant,
3 Jan. 2026
-
For many Venezuelans in Austin, news that United States forces had captured Venezuela President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, landed with a mix of relief and dread.—
Julianna Duennes Russ,
Austin American Statesman,
3 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
The warning is for Merced - Madera - Mendota, Planada - Le Grand - Snelling, Fresno area, Delano-Wasco-Shafter, Hanford - Corcoran - Lemoore, Visalia - Porterville - Reedley and Southeast San Joaquin Valley.—
CA Weather Bot,
Sacbee.com,
10 Jan. 2026
-
The Times revealed last January that west Altadena never received evacuation warnings, and orders to evacuate came hours after flames and smoke threatened the community.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
A lot of people get drawn into the fear, distracted by the thoughts in their head.—
Marcus Thompson II,
New York Times,
7 Jan. 2026
-
Many immigrant customers haven’t returned, while five of his former employees, despite having working papers, left Charlotte permanently out of fear.—
Liz Rothaus Bertrand,
Charlotte Observer,
7 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
After scaring off the animal, one of the hikers, a physician, attempted to revive Kovatch, but did not find a pulse.—
Outside,
Outside,
6 Jan. 2026
-
Don’t let the tackiness of this primer scare you.—
Michelle Baricevic,
InStyle,
6 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Orpin did not respond to follow-up questions concerning the fate of the cidery's canning and retail sales operations.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
7 Jan. 2026
-
Other concerning signs include constipation, feeling cold all the time, lightheadedness or fainting, and missing periods in girls.—
Melissa Willets,
Parents,
7 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Meanwhile Syria remains scarred by years of conflict and nationals in Germany are looking on at the debate with mounting worry.—
Sophie Tanno,
CNN Money,
9 Nov. 2025
-
Leaders at big carmakers spelled out their worries in the latest round of earnings calls, saying that finding a replacement for Nexperia at scale in the short term will be difficult.—
Boston Herald Wire Services,
Boston Herald,
8 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
Somehow, this new sensation emitted an awareness of the magnitude in which skateboarding would warp my life, which only ratcheted up the anxiety of blowing it.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
12 Jan. 2026
-
The news this week that an ICE agent had shot and killed a woman in Minnesota heightened his anxiety.—
Andrea Castillo,
Los Angeles Times,
11 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
The Secretary of State called the event an attempt to frighten public servants.—
Jack Perry,
The Providence Journal,
9 Jan. 2026
-
But monks there complained that the slain king was walking around at night, frightening them with strange sounds.—
Rivka Galchen,
New Yorker,
7 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Alarm.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/alarm. Accessed 12 Jan. 2026.
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